The 48 Laws Of Power

50
LAW 10

mgpower

becausetheircharactersandemotionsaresointense.

They

often

present

themselvesas

victims,

making

it

difficult,

at

first,

toseetheirmis-

eriesasself-inflicted.Before

you

realizetherealnatureoftheir

problems

you

havebeeninfected

by

them.

Understandthis:Inthe

game

of

power,

the

peopleyou

associatewith

are

critical.Theriskof

associating

withinfeclorsisthat

you

willwastevalu

abletimeand

energytrying

to

free

yourself.Through

akind

of

guiltby

as-

sociation,

you

willalsosufferinthe

eyes

ofothers.Neverunderestimatethe

dangers

ofinfection.

Thereare

many

kindsofinfectortobeaware

of,

butoneofthemost

insidiousisthesuffererfromchronicdissatisfaction.

Cassius,

theRoman

conspirator

againstJulius

Caesar,

hadthediscontentthatcomesfrom

deep

envy.

He

simply

couldnotendurethe

presence

of

anyone

of

greater

talent.

Probably

because Caesar sensed theman’s interminable

soumess,

he

passed

him

up

forthe

position

offirst

praetorship,

and

gave

the

position

to

Brutus

instead.Cassiusbroodedand

broorled,

hishatredfor

Caesar

be

comingpathological.

Brutus

himself,

a.devoted

republican,

dislikedCae-

sar’s

dictatorship;

hadhehadthe

patience

to

wait,

hewouldhavebecome

thefirstmaninRomeafterCa.esar‘s

death,

andcouldhaveundonetheevil

thattheleaderhad

wrought.

ButCassius

infectedhimwithhisown

rancor,

bending

hisear

daily

withtalesofCaesafsevil.He

finally

wonBrutusover

tothe

conspiracy.

Itwasthe

beginning

ofa

greattragedy.

How

many

mis-

fortunescouldhavebeenavoidedhadBrutuslearnedtofearthe

power

of

infection.

Thereis

only

one

solution

toinfection:

quarantine.

But

by

thetime

yourecognize

the

problem

it

is

oftentoolate.

ALola

Montezoveiwhelms

you

withherforceful

personality.

Cassius

intriguesyou

withhis

confiding

natureandthe

depth

ofhis

feelings.

Howcan

youprotectyourself

against

suchinsidiousviruses?Theanswerliesin

judgingpeople

ontheeffects

they

have

on

the

world

andnotonthereasons

theygive

fortheir

prob-

Image:

A Virus.

Unseen,

it

lems.Infectorscanbe

recognizedby

themisfortune

they

drawonthem-

enters

your pores

without

selves,

theirturbulent

past,

their

long

lineofbroken

‘relationships,

theirun«

warning,spreading silently

and

stable

careers,

andthe

very

forceoftheir

character,

which

sweepsyouup

slowly.

Before

you

areawareof

andmakes

you

lose

your

reason.Beforewarned

by

these

signs

ofaninfec-

the

infection,

itis

deep

inside

you.

tor;

learn

to

see

the

discontent

intheir

eye.

Most

important

of

all,

donot

take

pity.

Do

notenmesh

yourself

in

trying

to

help.

The

infectorwillre

main

unchanged,

but

you

willbe

unhinged.

Theothersideofinfectionis

equally

valid,

and

perhaps

more

readily

understood:Thereare

people

who

attract

happiness

tothemselves

by

their

good

cheer,

natural

buoyancy,

and

intelligence.They

areasourceof

plea:

sure,

and

you

mustassociatewiththemtoshareinthe

prospeiitythey

draw

upon

themselves.